Present: Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Willie Clarke MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Billy Leonard MLA
Trevor Lunn MLA
George Robinson MLA

In Attendance: Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)

Apologies: Allan Bresland MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Ian McCrea MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.35am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

Members welcomed Mr Billy Leonard and Mr Trevor Lunn to the Committee and also noted the extract of the Register of Members’ Interests relating to these Members.

Agreed: Members agreed to write to Mr Raymond McCartney and Mr Brian Wilson thanking them for their contribution during their time as Members of the Committee for Regional Development.

Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.

2. Draft Minutes of Meeting held on 24 March 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.

3. Matters Arising

• Members noted correspondence from the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and from the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development and Health, Social Services and Public Safety in response to issues raised in Committee by the Community Transport Association.
• Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 22 March 2010, in relation to the Committee for Employment and Learning’s Inquiry into young people not in education, employment of training (NEETs) and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for Employment and Learning for information.
• Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development, dated 25 March 2010, in relation to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure’s “Bike to Work” scheme and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure for information.
• Members noted correspondence from the Department of the Environment and Belfast International Airport in relation to the proposed runway extension at George Best Belfast City Airport.
• Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on procurement governance and Northern Ireland Water.
• Members noted correspondence from the Consumer Council on the Utility Regulator’s Price Control 2010-2013 Final Determination.
• Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 30 March 2010, on the draft Road Safety Strategy.
• Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 1 April 2010, on the Fort George Development, Londonderry, and agreed to forward the correspondence to the member of the public who raised the query and also to the Committee for Social Development for Committee.
• Members noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MLA, and from the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water, Laurence MacKenzie, in relation to the ongoing issue relating to procurement governance in Northern Ireland Water.

4. Water Supply (Domestic Distribution Systems) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010: Making of joint regulations on public supply to satisfy EU reasoned opinion

10.45am Mr Robinson joined the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Paul McKenna and Stuart Wightman of DRD’s Water Policy Division, and Margaret Herron and David O’Neill of the Drinking Water Inspectorate on the Department’s proposals to make joint regulations with the Department of the Environment on The Water Supply (Domestic Distribution Systems) Regulation (Northern Ireland) 2010 .

Agreed: The Committee noted an SL1 and agreed that it was content with the policy merits of the proposed subordinate legislation.

Agreed: The Committee also agreed to write to the Committee for the Environment indicating its decision on the policy merits of the proposed subordinate legislation.

5. Public Transport Reform: Departmental response to the Committee’s comments on the outcome of public consultation

10.50am Mr Gallagher joined the meeting.

10.55am Mr Boylan joined the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials, Doreen Brown, Brian White and Sean Johnston, on the Committee’s response to the outcome of the Department’s public consultation on public transport reform.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department on a number of issues raised during discussions.

6. Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Consideration of the clauses of the Bill

Agreed: The Committee considered the evidence received to date on the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill relevant to the clauses and schedules of the Bill and agreed to seek clarification on a number of issues and also to begin formal clause by clause scrutiny of the Bill after receipt of the clarification sought.

11.45am Mr Gallagher left the meeting.
11.55am Mr Gallagher returned to the meeting.
11.58am Mr Lunn left the meeting.

7. Draft Disability Action Plan

Agreed: Members considered a written Departmental briefing on its draft Disability Action Plan and agreed that the Department should proceed to public consultation on the draft plan, and to request briefing on the outcome of the public consultation.

8. Public consultation on the proposed rapid transit legislation: Committee response to the Department for Regional Development

Agreed: The Committee considered and agreed its response to the Department for Regional Development on the outcome of the Department’s public consultation on the proposed Belfast rapid transit system.

9. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:

• The Waiting Restrictions (Dungannon) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Road Races (North West 200) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Roads (Speed Limit) (No4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Prohibition of Waiting (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Road Races (Gortin Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• Proposed Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Omagh) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Clearway (Bradley Way, Route A5, Strabane) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Road Races (Tour of the Sperrins Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Road Races (Mourne Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The Road Races (Ulster Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010; and
• The Moy Road (Route A29) and Drumcairn Road, Armagh (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 .

Members noted that the SL1 memos from the Department on the above proposals made no reference to their having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local councils affected by the above proposals have been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant councils regarding these policy proposals.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it was content with the policy merits of the following SL1s.

• The Road Races (North West 200) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010; and
• The Road Races (Tour of the Sperrins Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010.

Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 24 March 2010:

• The Depot Road, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010;
• The St. Julian's Way, Omagh (Footpath) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010; and
• The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Belfast) (Amendment No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it was content with the policy merits of these SL1s.

Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 19 March 2010, in relation to the Road Races (Mid-Antrim 150) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, indicating that the objections to this SL1 had been resolved.

Members noted receipt of the following statutory rules:

• 2010/95 The Cascum Road, Banbridge (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010; and
• 2010/128 The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules will report on these rules in his Fourteenth Report to the Assembly, to be published on 23 April 2010 .

Members considered the following statutory rule which was laid in the Assembly’s Business Office by the Department for Regional Development and is subject to the negative resolution procedure. Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules, in the Thirteenth Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, made no comment on the rule.

• 2010/86 The Ballynamony Lane, Lurgan (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010.

In the absence of any objection, the following question was put and agreed:

• ‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2010/86 The Ballynamony Lane, Lurgan (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’

All those in favour: Cathal Boylan, Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, Tommy Gallagher, Billy Leonard, Michelle McIlveen, George Robinson.

Those against: None.

All Members present voted. No Members present abstained.

Members decided that the Committee Clerk would inform the Business Office of the decision made today.

10. Correspondence

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in relation to Departmental prompt payment of invoices and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on European issues.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 7 April 2010, in relation to appointments to the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority.

Members noted an issues paper from IMTAC on “The Future of Door2door Services”.

Members noted Issue 9 of the Community Relations Council’s Shared Space research journal.

The Committee noted the Department for Regional Development’s Northern Ireland Road and Rail Transport Statistics for October to December 2009.

Members noted the Sustainable Development Commission’s Northern Ireland’s March 2010 newsletter.

Members noted the following press releases:

• Department for Regional Development – “Publication of road and rail transport statistics”;
• Translink – “Translink announces further investment in 48 rural Ulsterbuses”;
• Department for Regional Development – “Minister announces preferred route for A2 Ballykelly bypass”; and
• Department for Regional Development – “Proposals for integrated transport hub for Belfast to be assessed”.

11. Any Other Business

Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme should be published on the Assembly website.

12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 21 April 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.15pm.

 

Signed: ……………………………………………

Fred Cobain , MLA

Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development

21 April 2010